'Virat, the nation needs you': Shashi Tharoor ‘misses' Kohli more than ever amid Ind vs Eng 5th Test
Wondering if it is too late to urge Virat Kohli to return, Shashi Tharoor said the cricketer's 'grit and intensity, his inspirational presence in the field, not to mention his abundant batting skills, might have led to a different outcome.'
'I've been missing @imVkohli a few times during this series, but never as much as in this Test match. His grit and intensity, his inspirational presence in the field, not to mention his abundant batting skills, might have led to a different outcome. Is it too late to call him out if retirement? Virat, the nation needs you!' Shashi Tharoor's post read.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Derogatory remarks against Amit Shah: Rahul Gandhi to appear before Jharkhand court on August 6
RANCHI: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, will appear before the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa on Wednesday, in a defamation case registered against him for an alleged objectionable remark against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2018. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Ranchi on Monday to attend the last rites of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. After paying his respects in Soren's native village, Nemra, Gandhi returned to Ranchi and will proceed to Chaibasa on Tuesday to appear before the MP-MLA Court as directed by the Jharkhand High Court on June 10. The High Court had earlier dismissed Gandhi's plea challenging a non-bailable warrant issued by the Chaibasa court, which had ordered his personal appearance by June 26. Gandhi's counsel had sought an exemption under Section 205 of the CrPC, but the court rejected the request, insisting on his physical presence. Following this, Gandhi approached the High Court, where his lawyer argued that scheduling conflicts prevented an earlier appearance. After consultations, August 6 was agreed upon as a suitable date for the hearing. The legal trouble stems from a 2018 speech during an AICC plenary session in New Delhi, where Gandhi allegedly referred to BJP leaders as "murderers" and "liars." He had stated, 'The people of this country will never accept a lying BJP leadership drunk with power… They will accept a man accused of murder as BJP President, but the same won't be tolerated in Congress.' A BJP worker, Pratap Kumar, filed a complaint in Chaibasa's Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in July 2018, prompting the court to take cognizance in February 2022. Summons were issued to Gandhi, followed by a bailable warrant after he failed to appear. With his continued absence, a non-bailable warrant was eventually issued in May 2025. The case highlights the ongoing political tensions as Gandhi faces judicial proceedings over his remarks.
Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Acrimonious series? India and England players meet and greet to celebrate an intense summer
Acrimony followed the sensationally concluded India-England Test series at every juncture, but the fellowship of cricket suffering never got eroded. Battered, bruised bodies and satisfied souls of fighting cricketers from both the Indian and England teams assembled on Monday, to end the series on a note of mutual respect and bonhomie. A memorable series where banter got bruising but not brutal, received a calm debriefing as war wounds were bandaged. The English team invited the Indians over for the customary end-of-series tradition of after the 2-2 parity was reached. They might have been involved in fierce fights, not ceding an inch but once The Oval emptied out, it was scenes of camaraderie and asking after the well-being of the wounded. A team official told The Indian Express that while every Indian walked up to Chris Woakes who came to bat with a hand in a brace, admiring him for his courage, several English cricketers asked after how Rishabh Pant had been doing, given his broken toe. Both sides had given the world iconic images of broken warriors walking out to play their designated role, something that was appreciated most by the opposition. The meet and greet also saw India's young batsmen queue up and listen with wide attention to Joe Root talk about how his batting keeps getting better by the day. 'He was asked how he has sustained top form for so long and many things about his batting,' the team official narrated. English cricket, even when clubs or counties play, wraps up proceedings with both dressing rooms converging for a common limbering down of emotional intensity. And after battling for 25 days, the two teams ensured that all Day 5 wrinkles were neatly ironed out exchanging warm respect. The day's hero, and a rather popular figure even amongst opponents, Mohammed Siraj was the life of the after-party, and all controversies and grudges got buried with the final meet-up before the Indians flew out on Tuesday. The rivalry – though incidents keep cropping up – isn't particularly bitter to start with, and through the series, even as the world thought controversies would brim over, both sets of cricketers have professionally left events on the field. So even as Ben Stokes said nobody from either side was losing sleep over what was said, Prasidh Krishna who had a go at Root, clarified that the batsman was an ultimate legend, and no one could really hold onto any ill-will towards him. Similarly though Siraj's fiery eyes would light up several times in follow up, Root had maintained that his 'fake angriness', as hard as he tried, was never viewed as anything but a passionate performance by the English. India's mild mannered captain Shubman Gill isn't prone to trash talking anyway, and those like Yashasvi Jaiswal have even spent days picking the brains of Joe Root during the IPL gig at Rajasthan Royals. Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum have both been massive figures at Kolkata Knight Riders, and the two teams though hosting some fiery characters, ensured they ended the memorable series on a note of friendship with a higher echelon of respect for the show they put up for the world. It was the next best thing to fairytale endings – 2-2, and two sets of happy cricketers who left it all out there and then enjoyed each other's company.
The Hindu
2 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Imran Khan's party organises nationwide protests for his release; over 500 supporters arrested
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) organised protest rallies in different parts of the country, demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was arrested two years ago on corruption charges. The party claimed that its more than 500 workers and supporters who took to the streets were arrested by police, mostly in Punjab province. Khan, 72, was arrested on August 5, 2023, from his residence in Lahore after being convicted by a court in a corruption case. He has been incarcerated since his arrest due to conviction in other cases, and is being held at the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The call for the protest was given by Khan. His party claimed that supporters of the jailed leader responded by coming out in big numbers. "Today, August 5, marks the second anniversary of the incarceration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan with all basic human rights revoked, no or very limited access to his legal team or family, no access to his political leadership other than a couple of people now and then," senior party leader Zulfi Bokhari said in a statement. Mr. Bukhari, who is the spokesperson of Khan for international relations as well as international media, said the government has imposed a ban on gatherings, blocking main highways, wrecking cars with party flags and raiding the residences of active party leaders and workers. "Over 500 PTI leaders and workers have been arrested so far in Punjab alone, mostly from Lahore, including several lawmakers," he said. "Democracy is non-existent, nor is there the rule of law and human rights. However, this kind of tyrannical treatment of our very own Pakistanis is shameful, even for this hybrid regime,' Mr. Bokhari said. "The protesters will continue to demonstrate peacefully till the end of the day. However, the government seems weak in the knees, despite being in power,' he said. According to Khan's party, most arrests were made in Lahore as Khan's supporters came out on the roads in large numbers to protest against the 'fascist regime'. Police in Punjab province, which is ruled by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, arrested PTI supporters for allegedly violating Section 144, which bans the assembly of four or more people. A Punjab Police spokesperson said that no one is allowed to violate Section 144, as arrests have been made in this regard in the province. Since there has been an apparent ban on the broadcast media coverage of PTI rallies, a number of videos from the rallies showing police cracking down on the party workers have gone viral on social media. The police action was condemned on social media for dragging even elderly supporters of the PTI during the protest rallies. However, a PTI lawyers' rally put up a good show on Lahore's Mall Road as police personnel appeared cautious in taking action against the participants. Protests were held in Okara, Sheikhupura, Jhang, and several other places. Clashes were reported between police and Khan's supporters at some places. In one incident, the windscreen of Aliya Hamza, PTI chief organiser in Punjab, was broken. In a social media post, she claimed that police attacked her car with clubs and she was also injured. Another PTI leader, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, said that 'breathing has been made a crime as the 'fake' Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, now considers herself a dictator'. Sharing a video of a police raid on her residence on social media, she said that the Punjab Police once again raided her home. "In a democracy, it is usually the case that if any group protests and damages government property, then institutions spring into action. But here the situation is reversed - the protest has not even begun, yet the state commits a far greater crime by trampling the sanctity of our homes," she said. "As a state, we need to wake up. Such fascist actions are eroding human rights, democracy, and civil liberties," she said. Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said party supporters will also reach outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to protest against Khan's illegal confinement. "Imran Khan has given a message that he is ready to stay in jail for 10 years for the people of Pakistan and the rule of law, but not succumb to any kind of pressure from the regime," said Qaiser, who is also the Secretary General of Tehreek Tahaffuz Ain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance of six opposition parties. Another PTI leader, Ali Muhammad Khan, wrote on social media that the country's problems cannot be solved by jailing political opponents, but through political dialogue and demanded the immediate release of Khan and other 'innocent political prisoners'. Earlier, the government in Punjab took strong security measures to foil the protest. It imposed section 144 in Lahore and Rawalpindi to outlaw any political activity. In Rawalpindi, over 4,000 policemen were deployed across the city to ensure security. Arrangements were also made around Adiala Jail, including the deployment of Riot Management Force units. To prevent any law and order situation near Adiala Jail, a red alert was issued and Adiala Road was sealed for ordinary traffic. The provincial government also announced the use of the paramilitary Punjab Rangers for security around Adiala jail and other areas of Rawalpindi. There were also reports of protests in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, but so far the party mostly shared details of its protest in Punjab. Khan's party shared videos and clips of different activities on social media. However, it was not clear if they were from today or some previous protest.
